West Coast Film Festival begins Wednesday

A still from Oliver Stone's "Heaven and Earth," which will be the closing night film of the third annual West Coast Film Festival. "Heaven and Earth" will screen at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 at Regency Theatres San Juan Capistrano.COURTESY OF WEST COAST FILM FESTIVAL AND WARNER BROS.

In the late 1980s, San Juan Capistrano resident Robert Kline was teaching a class at USC on the Vietnam experience when a student suggested inviting Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnamese American writer.

Hayslip gave a gripping, emotional talk to Kline's class, and Kline – an accomplished filmmaker and producer – was determined to buy the film rights to her upcoming book, “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places.”

One thing led to another. Kline and Hayslip's literary agent signed an option agreement on an Italian restaurant napkin, and a few years later, the film “Heaven and Earth” was born, with Kline as producer. Oliver Stone directed it and co-wrote the screenplay.

“I was hell-bent on doing a movie about the Vietnam experience,” said Kline, 74, co-founder of Lifetime Television and a former vice president of Twentieth Century Fox Television. “It's the first movie about the Vietnam experience done by an American producer and director from the Vietnamese point of view. People still come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed it and learned from it.”

“Heaven and Earth” will be the closing-night film for the third annual West Coast Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday at Regency Theatres San Juan Capistrano. The festival will showcase classic films and new, independent works and run through Sept. 1.

The West Coast Film Festival, which has grown in size and community respect, will start at 3 p.m. Wednesday with the 1949 musical comedy “In the Good Old Summertime,” which stars Judy Garland and Van Johnson and was directed by Buster Keaton (uncredited).

The official opening-night film is “Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story,” a documentary about esteemed actor and director Clint Eastwood. The 8 p.m. screening Wednesday will be the West Coast premiere of the film.

“It's as good a documentary as I've ever seen,” said Kline, co-founder of the festival. “Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are in it. It shows Clint Eastwood from his days as Dirty Harry to ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales' to ‘Pale Rider,' ‘Unforgiven' and ‘Million Dollar Baby.' Actors love working with him.”

The film fest will also screen “Pale Rider,” which stars Eastwood as a mysterious preacher, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Regency Theatres San Juan Capistrano.

BALANCING ACT

Since its start in 2011, the West Coast Film Festival has presented a careful balance of crowd-pleasing classics and independent projects, many of them from young Orange County and Los Angeles filmmakers. The program also includes performances, giveaways and special guests.

This year, the 1952 musical “Singin' in the Rain,” starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, will start Thursday's events at 1 p.m. That will be followed by a new documentary, “Angels in Exile,” narrated by Charlize Theron. The film follows the plight of homeless children in South Africa.

That same day, the Ocean Institute in Dana Point will present “Free Willy” (time to be announced). At 6:30 p.m., a martial arts demonstration at Regency Theatres will feature karate students from dojos in San Juan Capistrano and Fullerton.

At 7 p.m., the festival will present a 40th anniversary, digital screening of “Enter the Dragon,” Bruce Lee's final film. That will be followed by an after-party at Guapas restaurant for appetizers and a no-host bar.

On Friday at 3 p.m., the fest will screen a double feature for families: “Black Beauty” (1994) and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” (2003). The 1980 comedy “Caddyshack,” starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray, will play at 7 p.m.

A still from Oliver Stone's "Heaven and Earth," which will be the closing night film of the third annual West Coast Film Festival. "Heaven and Earth" will screen at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 at Regency Theatres San Juan Capistrano. COURTESY OF WEST COAST FILM FESTIVAL AND WARNER BROS.
A still from Oliver Stone's "Heaven and Earth." The 1993 film will conclude the third annual West Coast Film Festival on Sept. 1 at Regency Theatres San Juan Capistrano. COURTESY OF WEST COAST FILM FESTIVAL AND WARNER BROS.
From left, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly are shown in a scene from "Singin' in the Rain." The 1952 film will screen at 1 p.m. Thursday during the third annual West Coast Film Festival. WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Clint Eastwood celebrates at the 76th annual Academy Awards presentation on Feb. 27, 2005. A documentary on Eastwood and his acting and directing career will open the third annual West Coast Film Festival at 8 p.m. Wednesday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
From left, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly are shown in a scene from "Singin' in the Rain." The film will screen at 1 p.m. Thursday during the West Coast Film Festival. Warner Bros. Pictures
The official movie poster for "Heaven and Earth," a 1993 film that will close the third annual West Coast Film Festival on Sunday. Courtesy of West Coast Film Festival and Warner Bros. Pictures
"An American in Paris," starring Gene Kelly, is among the classic films being screened as part of the West Coast Film Festival in San Juan Capistrano. WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Gene Kelly performs with dancers in a scene from "An American in Paris." The film screens Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano. WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Bruce Lee is shown in a scene from "Enter the Dragon," his final film. The film screens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in San Juan Capistraon. WARNER BROS. PICTURES
The official movie poster for "Go with Le Flo," a film made by Mission Viejo residents Michael Glover and Robyn Rosenkrantz. The film will screen at 7 p.m. Saturday during the West Coast Film Festival. COURTESY OF WEST COAST FILM FESTIVAL
Bruce Lee appears in "Enter the Dragon." WARNER BROS. PICTURES
The official movie poster for "Cruizin," an independent cycling picture by Huntington Beach resident Scott Nguyen screening Sunday at 5 p.m. during the West Coast Film Festival. COURTESY OF WEST COAST FILM FESTIVAL
A scene from "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" with Daffy Duck and Brendan Fraser. Screening Friday, Aug. 30 during the West Coast Film Festival. SUZANNE HANOVER, WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Shih Kien plays the villain Han in "Enter the Dragon." The film screens at 7 p.m. Thursday during the West Coast Film Festival. WARNER BROS. PICTURES
Bugs Bunny, Jenna Elfman, Daffy Duck and Brendan Fraser appear in "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," screening Friday during the West Coast Film Festival. SUZANNE HANOVER, WARNER BROS. PICTURES
DAFFY DUCK and JENNA ELFMAN star in Warner Bros. Pictures' live action adventure comedy Looney Tunes: Back in Action, also starring Brendan Fraser and Steve Martin. PHOTO: SUZANNE HANOVER, WARNER BROS. PICTURES

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